Nov. 22, 2011
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By Andrew Jennette
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - With spring just around the corner, the UCF softball team is gearing up for another successful season under the direction of head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie as the squad released its 2012 regular-season schedule Monday. The slate will include 31 contests at the UCF Softball Complex, including two home tournaments, with the Knights' home-opener scheduled for Feb. 24.
The Knights are looking to make their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance under Luers-Gillispie and will open their season Feb. 10-12 at the National Training Center Tournament in Clermont, Fla., against Chattanooga, North Carolina, Ohio State, Maryland and Alabama A&M.
"The start of our season is very exciting with the level of competition we'll be playing at the National Training Center tournament in Clermont. Facing North Carolina, Ohio State, Maryland that is very good competition for our first weekend of the season," Luers-Gillispie said.
The Knights will then face-off against three NCAA Tournament teams in Washington, UCLA, and host San Diego State at the San Diego State Tournament. This event also includes meetings against UC Davis and Oregon State and takes place in San Diego, Calif., Feb. 17-19.
"We head out to San Diego on our second weekend to play in the SDSU Tournament and we'll be matched up with top 25 teams Washington and UCLA, as well as the home team in San Diego State," Luers-Gillispie continued. "We're looking trying to build our RPI early in the season by facing as good of competition as we can to really prepare us for our conference schedule with opens in March."
Following its trip to California, the Black and Gold returns home to host its first of two-consecutive home tournaments, the UCF & Courtyard by Marriott Invitational, Feb. 24-26 at the UCF Softball Complex. The event will pit the Knights against Eastern Michigan, Jacksonville, Florida Gulf Coast and two TBD opponents. UCF will then play host to Penn, UIC, Jacksonville, and a TBD opponent during the UCF Spring Fling Tournament which takes place March 2-4.
Other noteworthy non-conference games at the UCF Softball Complex include meetings with Eastern Michigan, Evansville, Georgetown, Northern Illinois, Iona, Kent State, Florida, Bethune-Cookman and Stetson.
"We're looking forward to having such a long home stand once we get back from San Diego in mid-February which will include our two home tournaments on Feb. 24-26 and March 2-4. Maybe the thing we're most excited about is our ability to host a lot of teams from the north during the winter months," Luers-Gillispie said. "We're unlike a lot of other schools in the country because we have the ability to practice and play outside with no problems at really any point during the season and we have a very nice facility here that other teams are excited to come to during February and March."
UCF will make only three road trips outside of Conference USA play this season to battle in-state rivals North Florida, and Women's College World Series participants Florida State and Jacksonville away from home.
The Knights play host to Tulsa in a three-game series in its C-USA home-opener March 10-11, while also hosting East Carolina, Memphis and Houston in league action.
Also in league play, the Black and Gold will travel to Southern Miss, UTEP, UAB, and Marshall before making a return trip to Birmingham, Ala., for the C-USA Championship, which begins May 10.
Season ticket information for the 2012 campaign will be available soon.